Glen Casada working on state bill to stop Metro gay non-discrimination plan

State Rep. Glen Casada said he’s preparing legislation that would prevent local governments like Metro from forcing businesses to adopt non-discrimination policies covering sexual orientation and gender identity.

Casada said the bill, which he hopes to file by the middle of next week, would “say that local governments don’t have the option of requiring the business community to perform certain social functions.”

“We’re putting so many requirements on businesses that we’re making them be the social police of the community,” he said. “That’s not their role.”

But Chris Sanders, chairman of the Tennessee Equality Project, said Austin, Texas, has an even stronger policy than Metro is looking at, and it “has one of the best business climates in the country.”

The bill on Tuesday’s Metro Council agenda would require Metro contractors to sign an affidavit saying they won’t discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. They already make that pledge for age, race, sex, color, national origin or disability.

Councilman Jim Gotto – who, like Casada, attended a meeting about stopping the Metro bill this morning – said the council proposal “would not stop here.” He believes supporters want to extend the requirements beyond city contractors and into the realm of all Davidson County businesses.